Prolink NZ Ltd, a labor hire company based on Auckland Dominion Road, was placed under investigation by INZ in early September last year.
Photograph: RNZ/Lucy Xia

A woman previously jailed for tax evasion and providing false information to immigration authorities has revealed she was an “operations manager” for a company embroiled in an immigrant exploitation investigation.

Haiyan (Shirley) Luo Sent to prison in 2017 Using fake birth certificates to bring a child from China and $423,909 in tax evasion related to three companies.

RNZ has seen videos from January this year showing Luo addressing dozens of workers at labor hire company Prolink NZ Ltd in Auckland.

The company has been under investigation by Immigration New Zealand (INZ) for more than a year following allegations of immigrant exploitation.

At least 100 workers had accredited employer work visas (AEWV) at Prolink NZ Ltd, but some were unemployed and others were not working enough hours to get by. Many claimed they paid thousands of dollars for their visas.

In one of the videos provided to RNZ by a Prolink NZ Ltd employee, the woman said her name was Shirley and she was an operations manager at the company.

He told the workers, “The company does not belong to me, but I am completely responsible for the operation of the company, what is important is what I say, I can call on decisions.”

Two former employees of Prolink NZ Ltd, whom RNZ agreed not to name, confirmed that the woman in the video was Haiyan (Shirley) Luo.

In one of the videos, a worker can be seen interrogating Luo in an angry tone, asking why he was being paid less than the hourly rate stated in his contract.

In another video, workers introduced themselves, many saying they had come to New Zealand with their spouses and children. Most people say they arrive in the first half of 2023.

RNZ spoke to several Chinese workers whose visas depended on Prolink NZ LtdMore than a year after INZ began investigating the company, they say they are still unable to get full-time hours.

Prolink NZ Ltd did not respond to RNZ’s questions about Luo’s role at the company and his meeting with migrant workers earlier this year.

When RNZ asked Luo about his relationship with the company in a phone interview, Luo said “we will not answer any questions until the investigation is concluded.”

Luo confirmed that the video was shot in January this year and more than 20 workers came.

When RNZ asked whether he was the company’s operations manager, he said he did not answer directly and said, “I am responsible for the complaint at this stage.”

RNZ also has a relationship between Prolink NZ Ltd and one of its customers, Prolink NZ Ltd. He saw a contract signed in his name “Shirley Luo”.